Material distributor



Oct. 12, 1948. c. E. THIESSE 2,451,128

MATERIAL DISTRIBUTOR Filed July 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FAQ. 1

INVENTOR. Carl E. Tbc'esse 12, c. E. THIESSE 2,451,128

MATERIAL DI STRIBUTOH Filed July 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

4 Carl E. 7"]: 65.56 26 BY Patented Oct. 12, 1948 UNITED S TATES PATENTOFFICE MATERIAL DISTRIBUTOR Carl E. Thiesse, Port'ervilIe, Calif;

Application July 24, 1945, Serial No. 606,856

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to an improved agricultural implement,and in particular is directed to. a, distributor for materials such assulphur, ypsum, commercial fertilizer, and the like- Thev implement isof the rotary discharge type and includes a. number of novel features.

One novel feature of the implement is the mounting and drive. of thematerial distributing rotors; such rotors beingdirect driven from theaxle'of theimpl'ement, but arranged so that they may be uncoupled fromthe drive for transport of the implement.

A further feature of the invention is the novel assembly, in unitaryrelation, of each below hopper' rotor, the corresponding agitator in thehopper, and a tubular supporting sleeve on which said rotor and agitatorare mounted; the sleeve being carried on the upper end of a verticaldrive shaft.

Another important feature of the present invention is the assemblyof'the feed hopper and distributing rotors, which assembly is arrangedso that the material is discharged from the implement withoutobstruction of the flow, and in a plane well above thesupporting wheelsof the implement.

A further object of the invention is to producea simple and inexpensivedevice, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as'will-fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of refer- :ence indicatecorresponding parts in the several views:-

Figure 1- is a side elevation of the implement.

Figure 2 is" an enlarged rear end view of the implement.

FigureSis-a cross section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4' is a fragmentary transverse section through: the hopper androtor assembly.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan on line 5-5 ofFig. 4;

Referring now more particularly to the characters of'reference on thedrawings, the implement comprises a horizontal main frame I disposedabove and for movement along the ground, said; main. framein-cluding, atits forward end, a hitch 2 adapted for connection with a tractor. At therear end the mainframe i includes a horizontal transversely extendingaxle housing 3 enclosing an axle 4, on opposite ends of which groundengaging wheels 5. are fixed.

An. upstanding frame 6 is formed with the main frame I ahead of. theaxle housing 3 and supports a transversely extending hopper 1 whichprojects rearwardly in vertically spaced overhangingrelation tothe axlehousing 3. An operatorjs platform 8-is mounted on the main frame I aheadof the upstanding frame 6, and asack- 2 supporting rack 9.-is carried bysaid main frame in advance of the platform: 8.

The present implement is of two-rotor type and the rotors, together withcorresponding agitators, are mounted and driven as follows:

A pair of vertical drive shafts i0 extend upwardlyin transversely spacedrelation from within gear housings H formed in connection. with the axlehousing 3. Within the gear housings II the vertical drive shafts E iiare fitted with pinions 12? which mesh with bevel gears it on the axle4'. The power take-off from the axle l is thus en.- closed. withinthehousings ll free of dust and dirt; the shafts l8: extending upwardlyfrom said housings l I through seals 14. For convenience, conventionalmotor vehicle differential parts may, if" desired, be used: inconnection with. the above described power: take-off assemblies.

Above the seals M the vertical drive shafts: ill have couplings l5interposed therein and thence extend; upwardly in guided relation, as atit, through an. upstanding transversely extending A-frame lf'l' securedon the axle housing 3.

Above the A-frame each shaft continues upwardly and extends through anopening in the flat bottom L81 of the hopper i; said shafts terminatingwithin said hopper some distance above the bottom thereof. A sleeve l9;closed at its upper end, is engaged over each. shaft if: from the'upperend of the latter, said sleeve being of sufficient" length to extenddownwardly through the bottom id of thehopper i to a terminationtherebelow. A ball bearing 28 i'sengaged between the upper end of eachshaft Elisa-11d the adjacent upper closed end of the correspondingsleeve 19 for the purpose hereinafter described; said sleeve andshaftnormally being fixed against relative rotation by means of a cross bolt2% within the hopper, and thus accessible from the top of the latter.

Within the hopper 7 each sleeve is is fitted with a rotary agitator 22'which includes a hub 2-3 secured to said sleeve. Each agitator 22 isdisposed adjacent to the bottom !8 of the hopper and rotates above andin crossing relation to a rectangular hopper opening 2-3 in said bottoml8.

Belowthe bottom [8 each sleeve i9 is fitted with amaterial distributingrotor 25 of horizontal diScJike-cOnfiguration, and including a pluralityof upstanding radially extending, circumferentiallyspacedvanes 2-6. Eachrotor includes a hub 27 removably secured to the corresponding sleeve I9-by a set screw or the like 28. The rotors 26 are of substantialdiameter and extend some distance beyond the corresponding hopperopening 24, whereby said openings deliver onto the rotors 25:intermediate the hub and periphery of said rotors; The rotors 25, as somounted, are disposed to discharge in a. horizontal plane above the topof the wheels 5; said rotors'being driven in opposite directions, and.as indicated by the arrows ineFigs. 2:and 5.. The-hopper openings 24deliver onto the rotors laterally inwardly of the shafts l0, and saidrotors turn rearwardly and out wardly from the point of reception ofmaterial from the openings 24.

The hopper openings 24 are fitted with slide gates 29, each of whichincludes a port therein adapted to register to a selective extent withthe corresponding opening 24, whereby to control the amount of materialwhich flows from the hopper to the rotors.

The gates 29 are simultaneously controlled, and to like extents, by thefollowing mechanism:

Pivotally mounted links 3! extend at a rearward and downward inclinefrom the gates 29 to connection with depending legs 32 formed onopposite ends of a cross rod 33 turnably supported at the back of thehopper I by transversely spaced brackets 34. An upstanding control lever35 is fixed, intermediate its ends, to the cross rod 33, and said leveris urged in a valve opening direction by tension springs 36 whichconnect between the lower ends of said lever and a forward portion ofthe frame. lever 35 extends upwardly for hand manipulation and is alsoengaged by an adjustable holding bracket unit 31 by means of which theposition of the gates may be adjustably set.

Operation When the above described implement is in operation it iscoupled to a tractor in draft relation, and a supply of sacked materialto be distributed is placed on the rack 9.

An operator stands on the platform 8 and with through the openings 24onto the rotors 25,

whence such material is discharged laterally outwardly from oppositesides of the implement, and

Above the cross rod 33 the with considerable force, whereby wide andeven a distribution is obtained. The implement is especially effectivefor the distribution of materials such as sulphur, gypsum, commercialfertilizer, and the like.

When it is desired to transport the implement from place to placewithout operation of the rotors, and at which time material may remainin the hopper l, the gates 29 are closed, and the agitator-rotorassemblies are disconnected from the shafts H] by merely withdrawing thecross bolts 2|. Thus, when the implement advances the shafts l0 rotatewithin the sleeves 19, there being little tendency for the latter torotate due to the provision of the ball bearing 20 between the upperends of shafts I0 and the closed upper ends of the sleeves.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device,

still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to asdo not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined bythe appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

, 1. A material distributingmechanism for an implement which includes amaterial hopper having a feed opening in the bottom thereof;.said

mechanism comprising a driven upstanding shaft extending through thebottom of the hopper to one side of said opening, a sleeve surroundingthe shaft and extending above and below the bottom of the hopper, arotary agitator mounted on the sleeve in the hopper, and a materialdistributing rotor mounted on the sleeve below the hopper and travelingunder said feed opening; there being means releasably coupling thesleeve in driving relation to the shaft, the sleeve being closed at itsupper end, such end being supported on the upper end of the shaft whenthe sleeve is released from driving relation with the shaft.

2. A material distributing mechanism for an implement which includes amaterial hopper having a feed opening in the bottom thereof; saidmechanism comprising a driven upstanding shaft extending through thebottom of the hopper to' uting rotor mounted on the sleeve below thehop- 7 per and traveling under said feed opening; the

sleeve being closed at its upper end, an antifriction bearing betweenthe upper end of the shaft and the closed upper end of the sleeve, andmeans releasably coupling the sleeve to the shaft.

3. A' material distributor mechanism comprising a frame, an enclosedaxle housing at one end of the frame, an axle journaled in the axlehousing, ground engaging wheels fixed on the axle, a hopper supportedfrom the frame and overhanging the axle housing, a vertically disposedgear housing secured on the axle'housingand opening into the latter, adrive gear fixed on the axle and disposed in the gear housing,, a

' vertical shaft projecting from a point within the gear housing throughthe top of such housing and into the hopper, a dust seal on the upperend of the gear housing about the vertical shaft, a gear on the verticalshaft within the gear housing and engaged in drivingrelation with thefirst named gear, a sleeve releasably connected to the vertical shaftabout the upper end thereof,'the

upper end of the sleeve being closed and such.

sleeve projecting from a point within the hopper to a point below thehopper, a rotary agitator fixed on the sleeve within the hopper, adistributing rotor fixed to the sleeve below'the hopper, and acontrolled feed opening in the bottom of the hopper above thedistributing rotor.

4. A mechanism as in claim 3 including a vertically disposed A-framesupported from the exle housing, the vertical shaft being journaledthrough the upper end of said A-frame.

VCARL E. THIESSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date the

'Name 1 15,104: Luce June 10, 1856 1,211,596 Kindt Jan. 9, 19171,245,250 McGee Nov. 6, 1917 2,256,655 Stewart Sept. 23, 1941 2,323,262Warren June 29, 1943 2,327,266. Hoflstetter Aug. 17,1943 2,334,376 BauerNov. '16, 1943 7 2,340,657

, Goertzen Feb. 1,'1944

